American Airlines responds to criticism on Twitter about rainbow flag logo

The silhouette of a traveler is seen at the American Airlines terminal of Miami International Airport last fall.
Mark Elias
Bloomberg

The silhouette of a traveler is seen at the American Airlines terminal of Miami International Airport last fall.
Mark Elias
Bloomberg

Another corporation with local ties is in the spotlight for its support of the LGBT community.

American Airlines, which operates its second-busiest hub in Charlotte, recently changed its Twitter photo to a rainbow since June is pride month. The move drew criticism earlier this week from Nathan Lorick, the director of evangelism for Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

Lorick had originally tweeted at Fort Worth-based American to complain about his delayed flight before turning his attention to the rainbow.

@NathanLorick June is pride month across the globe and we are proud to support the LGBT community and its allies.

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Lorick tweeted back that he was #disappointed, saying that the rainbow flag seemed “like a poor choice from a company that certainly has many customers who do not agree with that lifestyle!” (Lorick’s tweets are protected, according to a Buzzfeed report.)

Last week, evangelist Franklin Graham called on Christians to boycott corporations that feature same-sex relationships in their commercials. He moved the accounts of his two ministries – the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse – to BB&T from Wells Fargo, which has its largest employee base in the Charlotte area.

Graham specifically objected to a Wells Fargo TV and online advertisement that features a lesbian couple learning sign language for their adopted daughter.

A Wells Fargo spokeswoman told the Observer that the San Francisco-based bank has proudly supported the LGBT community for a long time – a commitment reflected in the commercial.